death certificate

noun

: an official document that gives information about a person's death (such as when and how the death happened)

Examples of death certificate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Comer died May 28 at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, according to a death certificate filed with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026

If one of the owners is deceased, an original death certificate will be requested. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

Without any bodies, the medical examiner cannot issue a death certificate or determine the cause of death, but investigators believe Fresses and Amarando both died. — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

The death certificate stated that pancreatic adenocarcinoma and other conditions were contributing factors. — Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2026

Legal Definition

death certificate

noun

: a document setting forth information (as age, occupation, and place of birth) relating to a dead person and including a doctor's certification of the cause of death

Note: Death certificates are issued by a particular public official, as a city or town clerk. A death certificate is required to document a person's death for certain purposes, as to file an estate tax return or to probate an estate.